As the information age continues to unfold the utility associated with, if not necessity of, untethered communications has become increasingly apparent. That such communications should include data may be self evident. The local translation and manipulation of local or remote data, requisite to the production of information, virtually mandates a degree of associated local computing capability. Practitioners, attempting to serve this untethered or portable marketplace, have labored to provide products with varying degrees of the requisite utility.
Portable wireless data terminals allowing the transmission to remote locations of local data as well as the reception and display of remote data are now known. These data terminals lack the storage and operator interface capabilities and flexibility ordinarily associated with a plausible computing device. Likewise portable computers have been shown. Such computers having wireline access to remote databases by way of the public switched telecommunications network are available. Portable computers with the capability of wireless reception of data have been demonstrated. These computers all lack the highly coveted attribute of two way wireless access to remote data bases. Similarly, rudimentary wireless data transceivers arranged to be utilized with portable computers, although contemplated, lack even the elementary intelligence or processing capability required for media access.
In all of these endeavors to satisfy this untethered and portable marketplace, practitioners have been limited by the realities of technology and human imagination. Products must simultaneously be useful and convenient to the individual on the move. Today this implies extensive communications and computing capabilities together with sufficient battery life all in a physical size and weight that is practical for an individual on the move. That one or more requisite attributes is lacking in all of the known and contemplated products has been shown. Neither is a mere combination of such products an answer given the practical constraints on size, weight, and battery life either in combination or singularly. Clearly an urgent need exists for a wireless packet data communications modem that addresses the attributes required by the untethered marketplace .